Online Professional Diploma Program in Medical Nutrition Management

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

Despite the prevalence of nutritional disorders and an increasing amount of evidence showing the significance of diet in disease prevention, medical practitioners are typically untrained in the relationship of nutrition to health and disease. This three-part online program is tailored for medical practitioners who wish to gain a better understanding of nutrition management in order to improve patient outcomes, especially for those patients with conditions commonly seen in general practice, such as obesity, diabetes, pregnancy, cardiovascular disease, cancer and eating disorders. The program explores the role of therapeutic diets in the treatment of chronic illnesses and other nutritional disorders, highlighting the principles of the nutrition care process as applicable in a primary care setting. You will learn key nutrition assessment techniques and intervention strategies that will assist you in providing comprehensive health care to your patients.

PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATE OF MEDICAL NUTRITION MANAGEMENT

The Professional Certificate course will teach the foundations of dietary guidelines and help you understand how they can be applied in general practice to better manage chronic diseases, malnutrition, weight loss, and other conditions.

ADVANCED CERTIFICATE OF MEDICAL NUTRITION MANAGEMENT

The Advanced Certificate course will increase your clinical knowledge of medical nutrition strategies that can be implemented to improve patient outcomes in areas including pregnancy, diabetes, cancer, sport and cardiovascular nutrition.

PROFESSIONAL DIPLOMA OF MEDICAL NUTRITION MANAGEMENT

In the Professional Diploma course you will take your medical nutrition knowledge to the highest level with an understanding of how to assess and intervene in the most complex conditions managed in primary care.

Meet Your Instructors

Program Head, Master of Nutrition and Dietetic Practice, Bond University

Associate Dean of Research, Bond University

Professor Liz Isenring is an Advanced Accredited Practising Dietitian passionate about improving the quality of life of patients and their carers via evidence-based nutrition. Liz is Head of Program for the Master of Nutrition and Dietetic Practice, and the Associate Dean of Research for the Faculty of Health Sciences and Medicine at Bond University. She is recognised internationally as an expert in nutrition during treatment for cancer and for older adults. Liz has held several leadership positions including in AuSPEN, Dietitian Connection and MASCC, has published over 130 peer-reviewed papers and received more than $3 million AUS in research funding.

Dr Heidi Staudacher is a dietitian and postdoctoral researcher at the Food and Mood Centre at Deakin University. Her chief research interests include the pathophysiology and dietary management of functional gastrointestinal and mental health disorders, and the interaction of diet with the microbiome in these disorders.

Heidi was a NIHR Clinical Doctoral Fellow at King’s College London between 2012-2016 and during her PhD conducted a large randomised controlled trial investigating the effect of a low FODMAP diet with probiotic co-administration on the gastrointestinal microbiota, symptoms, dietary intake and quality of life. She has published several key papers in the field of dietary management of irritable bowel syndrome.

Dr Ingrid Hickman

Principal Research Fellow, Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Princess Alexandra Hospital and Mater Research Institute-UQ

Dr Ingrid Hickman is a Principal Research Fellow with the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics at the Princess Alexandra Hospital and the Mater Research Institute-UQ in Brisbane, Australia. Ingrid’s work specialises in investigating the metabolic factors that contribute to obesity-related chronic disease, particularly the role of diet and exercise as potential treatment options for chronic liver disease.

Ingrid collaborates nationally and internationally with multidisciplinary teams to deliver scientifically robust evidence for better management of obesity-related disease. The focus of her research team is to translate medical research findings into improved evidence-based practice for clinicians treating people with obesity-related chronic disease.

Dr Jaimon Kelly

Senior Teaching Fellow, Bond University

Dr Jaimon Kelly is an Accredited Practicing Dietitian and Senior Teaching Fellow at Bond University. Jaimon works in private practice and consults primarily for chronic disease nutrition. He is also an early career researcher passionate about improving patient-centred care in chronic disease, is an advocate for patient-engagement in both the clinical and research setting, and has a strong interest in exploring new ways to deliver dietary education to improve people’s dietary self-management.

Kate Morgan

Academic, Bond University

Kate Morgan has been an academic with Bond University since 2012. Her teaching with dietetics students has focused on food science and nutrition, and its application across dietetic practice. This has involved leading future dietitians on culinary investigations in the food lab as well as informative paddock-to-plate expeditions outside the university.

Kate recently completed her PhD in dietetics education, taking a national approach to exploring key stakeholders’ perspectives on dietetics workforce preparation and preparedness. Through her PhD, Kate authored six peer-reviewed publications and presented the findings of her research at conferences both nationally and internationally.

Prior to academia, Kate was a dietitian in the corporate sector. This involved working with multinational companies to enhance the nutritional profile of their products while maintaining palatability, meeting business needs and effectively communicating credible nutrition information to consumers.

Kate has been an Accredited Practising Dietitian and member of the Dietitians Association of Australia since 2008.

Kathryn Nolan

Senior Teaching Fellow, Bond University

Kathryn Nolan is an Accredited Practising Dietitian with more than 20 years’ experience. She has worked in many cosmopolitan, rural and remote areas of Queensland, Australia. Her extensive experience includes both hospital and community positions for Queensland Health as well as a successful private practice within a general practice setting. More recently she became a Senior Teaching Fellow at Bond University.

Lauren Ball’s vision is that all Australians are supported by a health care system that allows them to reach their full potential in life. This will be achieved by making nutrition a prominent part of the ongoing care they receive in general practice – the first point of contact with the health care system.

Lauren has worked with community members, health professionals, education providers and professional bodies to conduct research on how patients can be better supported in general practice to eat well. She implements interventions and programs so that general practitioners, nurses, dietitians, nutritionists, pharmacists and other health professionals feel confident in nutrition and have the skills to best meet patients' needs. She also works with Primary Health Networks to better understand how primary care services can be reoriented to put nutrition and other lifestyle behaviours at the forefront of the health care system.

Lauren has published over 100 peer-reviewed scientific articles and attracted over $1 million in research funding from government bodies, non-government organisations and philanthropic foundations. She is a Senior Research Fellow at Griffith University and an NHMRC Early Career Fellow. She is also an Associate Editor for the Australian Journal of Primary Health and Executive Committee Member of the Australasian Association for Academics in Primary Care.

Tara Diversi is passionate about combining nutrition, psychology and communication to help clients make positive change to improve their health. She is an Accredited Practising Dietitian with two post graduate qualifications in psychology and an MBA majoring in marketing, which complement her dietetic qualifications. Tara works as a business, communication and leadership consultant with Health Leadership Australia. She is the co-founder of Sophus Nutrition, a platform that combines nutrition with behavioural economics and technology to bring dietetic care into homes of patients across the globe.

Reading list with references to peer-reviewed journal articles to keep up-to-date with developments in the field.

Web-based support with the opportunity to ask the instructors questions while you implement your learning.

For the Professional and Advanced Certificates, there is a three-month exam period at the end of each trimester. In order to pass the assessment and progress to the next course, you must complete the assessment within this period. Exam extensions of up to six months are available on a case by case basis.

Online activities for the Professional and Advanced Certificates include a pre-course activity, responding to interactive case discussions, knowledge- and scenario-based questions, two interactive webinars, and a post-course activity.

Online activities for the Professional Diploma level include a pre-course activity, literature review, responding to interactive case discussions, knowledge- and scenario-based questions, two interactive webinars, and a post-course activity. A clinical audit is also a module of the Professional Diploma designed to demonstrate your application of learning in clinical presentations. The clinical audit is separately accredited.

Online assessment

In order to meet the requirements of professional and academic learning, the course assessmentincludes professional requirements and two online examinations.

Develop a report/explanation of how the learning from this course will help you with your professional development. -All certificate levels

Complete a literature review of three articles nominated by the course chair. -Professional Diploma only

There is a knowledge-based examination and an application-based examination which are both equally weighted.The pass mark for online examinations is 80 per cent. It is therefore not possible to pass this course on knowledge alone; knowledge must be successfully applied to patient cases in order to pass the course. -All certificate levels

Explanation of how the learning from this course has helped you with your professional development. - All certificate levels

HealthCert recommends completion of all requirements at your convenience within three months of the exam opening date for Professional and Advanced Certificates and nine months of the course commencement date for the Professional Diploma.

CERTIFICATION AND ACCREDITATION

Upon successful completion of the exam, course participants will receive the respective Certificates of Medical Nutrition Management and below points.

RACGP: 40 Category 1 CPD pointsACRRM: 30 PRPD Points

This program:

Provides CPD points from the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP).

Provides PRPD points from the Australian Council of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM).

Is recognised by the Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners (RNZCGP).

Is recognised by the Hong Kong College of Family Physicians (HKCFP). The HKCFP recognises all courses endorsed by the RACGP. Points are calculated differently.

Is a self-submitted activity in Dubai. The number of CPD points must be stated on the certificate. Please contact PLD@dhcr.gov.ae for more information.

Is a self-submitted activity in the UK. CPD events overseas, applicable to a doctor’s scope of practice, may be submitted for revalidation. Please confirm with your Responsible Officer.

Is a self-submitted activity in Canada through the College of Family Physicians of Canada. Category 1 points are reported as certified and Category 2 points are reported as non-certified. Contactmainprocredits@cfpc.cafor more information.

Meets World Federation of Medical Education standards.

Is quality-assured by Bond University.

EDUCATION PATHWAYS

Professional Diploma Pathway

This online three-part program consists of the Professional Certificate, Advanced Certificate, and Professional Diploma of Medical Nutrition Management. Upon completion of the program, participants will be eligible to apply for RPL for the Graduate Diploma in Nutrition with Bond University. This is suitable for medical practitioners who are mainly interested in clinical academic study. Course graduates may also continue their professional development by completing a clinical attachment, which are available on request. These will be on a 1:1 basis providing the opportunity to observe clinical nutrition consultation, planning and decision-making and ask questions of the expert.

Certified clinical attachments pathway

Optional clinical attachments are available on request. These will be on a 1:1 basis providing the opportunity to observe clinical nutrition consultation, planning and decision-making and ask questions of the expert. Clinical attachments are available in Australia.

Postgraduate pathway for nutrition

This pathway is suitable for medical practitioners who are mainly interested in clinical academic study. The Graduate Diploma in Nutrition is studied through Bond University. Medical professionals who successfully complete the HealthCert Professional Certificate, Advanced Certificate and Professional Diploma of Medical Nutrition Management will be eligible to apply for RPL for the Bond University Graduate Diploma. RPL will be granted for NUTR71-105 Nutrition and Chronic Disease Management. Learn more.

A pathway leading to a Graduate Diploma in Obesity and Weight Management with an online provider in the UK is currently under discussion.

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REQUEST MORE INFORMATION

HealthCert is committed to providing top-quality education, and to make sure this happens, we back all our courses with a unique Double Guarantee.

If you are not able to apply the course learning outcomes in your practice, get in touch with us within 90 days of course completion and you can attend the course again at no cost. If you are not satisfied with the course, simply hand in your course materials at the end of day one and we will provide you with a 100% refund.

VIEW PICTURES FROM THE COURSE

How can we help you?

Please don't hesitate to get in touch with one of our Education Advisors if you have any questions, require more information or would like to discuss your learning requirements. We are here to help and will be sure to tailor your education pathway to your current expertise, interests and career goals.